Letters to the Editor May 22, 2013

Upper Chetco Rural Fire District has no certified fire fighters at this time! What if you had a fire and nobody came?

Without volunteers to respond a fire can quickly get out of control as we have seen lately on the ridge. We need people to step up to the plate. We have recently had two men show interest and hopefully they will commit to be certified; we also have a woman learning to run the truck but we want more.

You can be our community’s hero! Volunteer! Fire danger is not an unusual threat in our area and we’ve seen it up close and personal. This year is not likely to be any different. Our next board meeting is June 5 at the fire hall on Gardner Ridge. Please come; applications will be available, training is free and is a great asset to have — help us help you.

It was a very sad day when our very good friend and Redshirt member Frank Muller passed away. He was a wonderful person and humanitarian.

We will all remember him for his crazy sense of humor. I know that is the thing I will miss most about him as very few days went by that I didn’t talk to him.

Those of you that knew him know that if you needed help Frank was there. All you had to do is ask. Frank was a very hard-working Redshirt. He was so devoted to the Redshirts that I put on the back of the Redshirt I made years ago for him “Until They All Come Home.” He loved it and he lived it. I am so sorry that he was unable to see that day come true.

We will have a very hard time replacing him in our organization. If you would like to help Frank’s dream to continue to send packages we would love to have your help. You can contact me or Dave at 541-412-8968.

Frank’s Celebration of Life is Friday, May 24, at 11 a.m. at the Living Waters Foursquare Church at 1136 Fifield St., Brookings. It is a potluck and his family is asking everyone to wear a red shirt.

Sharon Hitzman,

president, Brookings-Harbor Redshirts

Brookings

Love them enough

Has something happened so horrifying that you think it is a nightmare that you will wake from ... but you don’t wake up because it is reality?

I have to speak out what my wife and I witnessed just a few days ago. We were driving on Benham and a dark blue 4-wheel drive truck was in front of us turning north on 101 with a little dog in the back with a long leash on it.

The worse thing happened: The dog jumped out of the truck and was trying with all his heart to keep up with the truck but when they sped up he couldn’t any longer keep up and he tumbled all over until he stopped. We honked, trying to get the attention of the driver.

The dog stood up and then died; the pain and suffering did not have to happen. The image is etched in our hearts and minds forever.

I want people to realize to be responsible for your pet; they depend on us and awful things happen by no fault of theirs — only humans. It is unlawful that the animal is not secured by a short leash or in a crate for protection.

My wife witnessed a similar situation a dog fell out of the back of the truck and then was run over and killed.

This does not have to happen. Love them enough to be as good as they think we are. They deserve love, protection and compassion.

If you see anything like this, get their license number and report. Be kind and caring.

Von Williams

Brookings

no honesty, truth

On the “Mother Sutter” webpage (SutterHealth.org), there is a chart of the not-for-profit organization’s values.

The center of the chart reads “Honesty and Integrity”; below that it says, “We act openly and truthfully in everything we do.” As a former employee of Sutter Coast and Sutter Memorial in Sacramento, I can’t believe SCH doesn’t have that similar core value. After all, “Mother Sutter” claims Sutter Coast as an affiliate.

It’s hard for me to accept Sutter Coast would even think of secretly changing ownership of our local community hospital, possibly “downsizing” our access to local health care and stonewalling a large number of our community members, all while claiming “We act openly and truthfully in everything we do.”

But it sure looks like that’s what Sutter Coast has been doing for the last year and a half, doesn’t it? What’s that old saying, “What you’re doing speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you’re saying’?

Roxie Hazard

Smith River

take a good look

With all the elections going on now locally, we sometimes don’t pay attention to what’s going on elsewhere.

Last week when they had the survivors of Benghazi testify to Congress on what happened during the raid on our embassy, there was only one station that covered it — Fox News on Channel 34.

We watched it for hours. Anyone who did could not come away and not understand how this administration was so concerned about the reelection that they hid the truth and put the people in Benghazi under the bus. The one that was in charge after the ambassador was killed talked to Hillary. No help coming. And he was demoted for speaking out.

When the Democrats asked questions of these three survivors of Benghazi, it was so obvious they were not really interested in the truth and wanted to protect the president and Hillary, and any others involved with lying.

The only reason the whole country isn’t jumping up and down demanding to get to the bottom of this is, the other news channels don’t want the truth out. They cover up so much that is going on.

We are losing our freedoms with a president that appoints three dozen czars, that only account to him. He is supposed to go to Congress on all sorts of things, and won’t. And after the last few days, there is so much coming out. Trying to deflect what went on in Benghazi, so we won’t ask too many questions. Like going to the U.N. over Governor Brewer of Arizona, and do you want to pay taxes to the U.N.?

We need to take a good look at all of this.

Betty Lou Gowman

Brookings

we have a treasure

I am a voracious reader. My mother used to say that instead of a pacifier when I was a baby and cried, she would give me a picture book to look at.

I still read a great deal and am so grateful to Dori and all the librarians who make our library such a very special place. There are usually people sitting in the comfortable chairs reading papers, people playing chess and of course, people at the computers.

After my husband passed away last January, I started to “hang out” at the library. I must have mentioned to Dori or a member of the staff that my husband had been a Marine during World War II. The very next time I came in, they had a list for me of all the books and authors I would enjoy. I have just about exhausted W.E.B. Griffin and still have more to go. These wonderful people helped me through a rather trying year and I hope they know how very much I appreciate them.

I hope the children and adults in our community realize what a treasure we have in our very excellent library and in the librarians who make reading special.

Gerry Kass

Harbor

good, not so good

When one criticizes it is incumbent that person looks for good to balance the bad.

The editorial (Pilot, May 6) is an example of very good, unbiased, informative and detailed journalism. No matter the outcome of the election, no one should be uninformed.

Another good, the majority of the letters from the past few weeks have been informative and non-biased, a good sign for Curry County citizens.

Now the not-so-good and the bad. The majority of our commissioners have a pocketbook fixation and have forgotten who they represent.

A perfect example of public service and unions gone wrong is the school district budget: 26 percent of the budget is allocated to PERS — that is re-dick-q-lus.

I was sad to learn obstetrician services have been suspended. I don’t know anyone in a family way, but if two-thirds of babies are born outside the county and many of you still seek medical services elsewhere, it can’t be easy for medical persons and the hospital to function properly.

I am sad and glad to say I have not been outside of Curry County since December 2011. I’m glad because you got all of my money; I’m sad because I haven’t even had a Burger King.

If you are going to Walmart I need one item. If Walmart has it I would think you could find it in Brookings.

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